It was a magical night! The skies pretty much cooperated by staying fairly clear to allow for the creation of this image. With the onslaught of mosquitos as I prepared for shooting, I wasn't sure I'd survive to complete the task. By the end of it all, I was one giant lump of a mosquito bite, and I'm sure I inhaled a healthy serving of them. The air was so calm and still, I had no breeze to provide relief; from the bug swarms or the oppressive heat.

In this image, a Falcon 9 rocket lifts off in a rare Northeastern trajectory from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 9:56 pm carrying 22 Starlink Satellites to add to its ever growing constellation. This view is over Lake Santa Fe, Florida with the small town of Melrose creating the glow of light pollution on the horizon.

This image is blended with the rising of the Milky Way which was visible approximately an hour after launch.

It was worth all of the suffering to create this image. 

Click on the image to see a larger version and to see more in the Rocket gallery.

Magic Over Melrose